Casa Ferreirinha Callabriga Douro Tinto Wine, 75 cl, 2016, Case of 3

This historic producer was founded in 1751, and today they have 520 hectares of vineyard in the Douro in all of its three sub-regions: Lower Corgo, Upper Corgo and Douro Superior. The winemaking is headed up by the talented Luis Sotomayor, and manages to restrain the Douro's natural exuberance to produce wines that have a freshness, like Estevo and Papa Figos, allied to a wonderful depth and texture, as with Vinha Grande Red and Quinta da Leda. Selected grape varieties were sourced from the Quinta do Sairrao estate located at a high altitude in the Cima Corgo region. Grapes selected for the Vinha Grande Tinto went through gentle crushing and destemming prior to fermentation at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks. Long skin contact during fermentation ensured optimal extraction, which was facilitated by pumping over and robotic plunging. Maturation took place for a period ranging between 12 and 18 months in used French oak barrels. The blend was then selected based on both sensory and technical analyses. The wine went through only one light filtration before bottling. In addition, the wine did not undergo cold stabilisation, which may mean it will have natural sediment in the bottle. Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto 2014 has a deep ruby colour. Its aroma is intense and complex, with predominance of floral and violet notes, together with red fruits such as strawberry and raspberry, aromas of spices such as pepper and discreet, very well integrated oak. On the palate, it has good volume, well integrated acidity, velvety tannins, together with notes of red fruits, some minerality and spices. Its finish is elegant and persistent.